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Bij Wlnlield Freeman 



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THE parable of the Prodigal Son is 
one of the finest figures used by 
Christ to impress his teachings on man 
kind. Sermons have been preached on 
this passage of Scripture from time 
immemorial. Most of them were 
tedious and dry as dust. It is strange 
that a dull discourse could ever have 
been evolved from a subject so full of 
human interest. This story reverses 
the old order. It is filled with illus- 
trations and statements that will make 
it interesting and instructive. It puts 
the subject into attractive form, pre- 
serves the spiritual teaching, and 
hopes to attract the attention of those 
of today, especially of the young, to 
whom it should mean most. 

This story might well be entitled, 
**A Brief for the Prodigal Son." It is 
neither a lay sermon, a lecture, nor an 
essay. It is almost devoid of imagina- 
tion, and is an argument supported by 



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law, scripture and custom. The chang- 
ing scenes are agreeable to human 
nature and environment. In some re- 
spects it is a departure from the 
usually accepted interpretation of the 
parable. It is written by a layman 
who views the subject from an angle 
somew^hat different from that of a 
theological student. The reason for 
this may be that the author traveled 
extensively and leisurely in many 
countries, among them the Holy Land. 
This afforded him opportunities for 
observation and contact with people 
and customs not given to many. The 
story leads in an interesting w^ay to 
the sw^ine fields of Gilead w^here the 
Prodigal came to himself. This is the 
pivot or turning point of the story. A 
change of heart and purpose is ex- 
pressed in the declaration, "I will 
arise and go to my father." That is 
what we call conversion. With the 
Prodigal it was genuine. His action 
discloses redeeming qualities which 
the story seeks to impress, together 
with the importance of a lost soul com- 
ing into peace by repentance, return- 
ing home with faith in the Father's 
forgiveness. 





There never was a time when the 
world more needed to turn to and 
grasp the eternal truths than this pres- 
ent day. The author is entitled to 
credit for putting this portion of them 
into form so attractive that it must 
appeal to all. 

WILLIAM E. CONNELLEY 

Top«>ka, KanMia, 
December 7. 1921 




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Father, I have sinned against 
Heaven and before thee, and am 
no more worthy to be called thy 
son; make me as one of thy 
hired servants. 

— Luke 15: 18, 19. 





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Tke Prodigal Son 



THE Prodigal has never run out. He 
is found in every civilized country. 
I met one in Palestine, an American 
Prodigal, spending his inheritance. 
First, I saw him at Rachel's tomb on 
the way to Bethlehem; afterwards, in 
the Tombs of the Kings. He broke 
financially at Jerusalem, and joined 
himself to a citizen of that country, a 
liveryman, to care for ponies. The 
world is prejudiced against a Prodigal. 




[7; 



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Father, give me the portion of 
goods that falleth to me. 

-Luke 15:12. 



OF forty- two parables spoken by 
our Savior, that of the Prodigal 
Son stands out most prominently. It 
is considered by many to be the great- 
est of all the recorded parables. It is 
more frequently referred to than any 
of the others. It is a parable of grace, 
one of the three which our Lord gave 
at the time when the Pharisees and 
scribes complained because he per- 
mitted publicans and sinners compan- 
ionship with him. Love in its truest 
sense never came to the heart of man 
until the advent of Jesus Christ. 
Heathen nations even today have no 
word to convey the true meaning of 
love and forgiveness. "Eye for eye, 
and tooth for tooth" was the law of 
the land, and the Golden Rule slum- 



^ bered throughout the ages. The spirit 
SB of the elder son bespoke the character 
^ of the times. The elder son repre- 
sented the Pharisee; the younger, a 
repentant sinner; the father, the Lord. 
The elder son occupies but a brief 
space in the parable; he attracts no 
sympathy and creates no interest on 
account of his envy and selfishness; 
we will pass him by. The Prodigal is 
prominent in history, poetry and paint- 
ing; the verdict of the ages is rendered 
against him with no one to defend. 
Now, let us for a time consider this 
great parable unbiased as jurors and 
a true verdict render in accordance 
with the law and the evidence. In the 
first place, take notice, he is not men 
tioned or branded as a prodigal, but 
we will speak of him as such a prodi- 
gal. The story is briefly given; draw 
your conclusion from the law of his 
time, the environment in which he 
lived, and the brief facts as given in 
the story. In the early history of man- 
kind all property was held in common. 
If a man abode under a tree, it was his 
to enjoy so long as he remained under 
its shadow, or so long as he could hold 
and possess against all comers; so soon 



[9] 



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^ as he stepped aside others could oc- 

^ cupy, and in the shifting process, man 

^ was truly a pilgrim and stranger on 

^ the face of the earth. In early times 

^ before the human family was settled 

^ in habitation and became rich, a man 

^ could not become the father of a 

^ prodigal. A poor man may have an 

^ undutif ul son but not a prodigal. Only 

^ a rich man may have a prodigal son, 

M and every man who gathers to himself 

^ the riches of this world, is eligible to 

ra become the father of a prodigal. The 

^ Prodigal Son appears just at the right 

W time in history; after Palestine was a 

^ long time settled, and family estates 

^ had been handed dow^n from father to 

^ son for many generations. The Bible 

™ encourages thrift and the accumula- 

^ tion of riches by industry and right 

™ living. Riches were promised to Solo- 

^ mon, although he had not prayed for 

ra riches. The Lord gave him both riches 

^ and honor, exceeding the measures of 

^ his desire. I Kings 3:13. It is no sin 

^ to grow rich, only to set the heart on 

^ riches to the exclusion of God's love 

^ and mercy. 




S3gSJ^n2J^2S28SE8S32"^ 




INDICTMENT AGAINST THE 
PRODIGAL SON 






ALL writers on the parable of the 
Prodigal Son, so far as I have 
been able to find, represent him as 
wayward, dissatisfied and anxious to 
break loose from the restraints of 
home, and indulge in the wild sins of 
the world, heedless of his fathers care, 
anxious for his patrimony before his 
father's death, indifferent to his duties 
as a son, and as an outstanding repre- 
sentative of a lost sinner. This indict- 
ment seems to be sustained by his after 
confession on his return home when he 
said: "Father, I have sinned against 
Heaven and before thee, and am no 
more worthy to be called thy son; 
make me as one of thy hired servants." 
The father paid no heed to the con- 
fession, having understood the son 
from the start better than he under- 
stood himself, so the father imme- 
diately administered to his needs. 



[in 







CUSTOM IN THE EAST 



THE most unforgivable act on the 
part of the son seems to have been 
his demand: "Give me the portion of 
goods that falleth to me." This indi- 
cates a desire to receive the goods of 
his inheritance before the death of his 
father, which to us is selfishness in the 
extreme. At the present day it is not 
unusual for a parent possessed of 
ample property, to divide and make 
advancement to an heir, in order to 
enable him to strike out and do busi- 
ness for himself, and demonstrate be- 
fore the death of the parent his ability 
to hold his own against all comers. In 
fact a rich man who holds in his grip 
all his property until his death, is 
branded as a miser and a selfish man, 
and one who can be well spared. 
When he dies he is "unwept and un- 
sung." Some years ago a traveler was 
driving along a country road in Mis- 
souri; when he approached a farm 
house he observed a number of people 
standing in the yard ; when he came to 






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the gate he inquired of one standing 
near, "What is going on here?' The 
man answered, "Nothing, only the old 
man who lived here just died." The 
traveler said: "What was the com 
plaint?" The answer was: "No com- 
plaint; everybody was willing." 

It was not illegal or unusual for a 
son to demand his share before the 
father's death. It has been an imme- 
morial custom in the East, as Dr. 
Adam Clarke, the learned Commen- 
tator, says, "for sons to demand and 
receive their portion of the inheritance 
during their father's lifetime; and the 
parent, however aware of the dissi- 
pated inclinations of the child, could 
not legally refuse to comply with the 
application (the wisdom or otherwise 
of the custom is not here to be re- 
garded)." If the Prodigal had re- 
turned with more property than he 
had carried away, he would have been 
applauded for his discretion and en- 
ergy of character for having received 
his inheritance and multiplied his 
riches. "A man's life consisteth not 
in the abundance of the things which 
he possesseth." Luke 12:15. Solo- 
mon said, "Give me neither poverty 
nor riches." The Prodigal got both. 



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INHERITANCE 

<<i^ IVE me the portion that falleth to 
VJl me." In order to correctly under- 
stand the character of a man, we must 
inquire and take into consideration the 
custom of the country, his environ- 
ment, and the laws under which he 
lives. To what portion of the goods 
was the younger son entitled? 

In Israel, where there was no son, 
the inheritance passed unto the daugh- 
ter. Num. 27:8. As no mention is 
made of the mother in the parable, she 
no doubt w^as dead. If perchance she 
had no brother, she inherited the an- 
cestor's estate. The rich man's estate 
may have included the mother's in- 
heritance; such is often the case even 
in our country. According to the 
Mosaic law^ the younger son w^as en- 
titled to the one-third of all the per- 
sonal property, and the elder son, two- 
thirds, or a double portion. Deut. 
21:17. Wills were unknown in an- 
cient Israel. At the translation of 



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Elijah, it was the request of Elisha 
that a double portion of Elijah's spirit 
be upon him; that is, an elder son's 
share. II Kings 2:9. The elder son's 
share was the desirable portion. He 
was the ranking and superior heir. In 
advancing years he would sit at the 
gate of the city with the elders. It 
was he who remained with the land 
and preserved the family name. It 
was he who was preferred, not only in 
inheritance, but among the sons of 
kings. 

Israel was essentially a land-holding 
people; inheritance was of religious 
significance, title was, in term of law, 
inalienable, and the removal of an 
ancient land-inark a serious offense. 



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WHY HE LEFT HOME 

WHAT was the inducement that 
determined the younger son to 
demand a division of the goods and to 
leave his father's house? If he re- 
mained at home he would be but a 
unit in human society. He could never 
hope to possess a homestead writh all 
that pertains to a rich man's house. 
He would never sit as a judge at the 
gate of the city, nor as a representa- 
tive in the councils of his tribe; he 
w^ould in the end be lost and sub- 
merged in the mass of forgotten hu- 
manity. Under the law of the land he 
could purchase no real estate. No 
Hebrew^ w^ould sell his land. Moses so 
ordained, ''The land shall not be sold 
forever." Lev. 25:23. Even an ex- 
change of land w^as not allow^ed. £zk. 
46:18. When King Ahab desired to 
purchase the vineyard of Naboth, be- 
cause it was near unto his house, or 
give Naboth a better vineyard for it, 
Naboth answered: ''The Lord forbid 








it me, that I should give the inheri- 
tance of my father's unto thee." 
I Kings 21 :3. There were no real 
estate agents in Palestine, and even 
now you can see no evidence of one in 
any of its cities. 

Israelites were and are naturally 
migratory. At the beginning of the 
Christian era, they were found among 
all the nations, even as far off as 
Rome. The Bible indicates they had 
a knowledge of Cathay, now known 
as China. People of this disposition 
are the people who redeem solitary 
wastes and cause the desert "to blos- 
som as the rose." 



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[171 






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MORE ABOUT NABOTH 

WHILE speaking of Naboth's vine- 
yard, it may be w^ell to digress 
for a moment to briefly consider the 
outcome of Ahab's desire for the vine- 
yard. It adjoined the king's summer 
home, a marble palace at Jezreel. 
The vineyard ivas a gentle, sloping 
hillside on the east. The king's offi- 
cial residence ivas Samaria, the capital 
city of his province. He coveted the 
field hard by the palace, in violation 
of the last commandment. Ex. 20:17. 
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's 
house . . . nor anything that is thy 
neighbor's." The king knew the law 
and the commandments. At the time 
of the partition of Palestine under 
Joshua, Jezreel pertained unto the 
tribe of Issachar and under the sub- 
division unto families, the vineyard 
tract fell to the family of which 
Naboth descended. Samaria belonged 
to the tribe of Manasseth. By the 
machinations of the wicked queen, 



[18] 




L>^:7 



Jezebel, it was charged that Naboth 
"did blaspheme God and the king 
and stoned him with stones, 
that he died." She knew his property 
would be forfeited to the crown, for, 
under the law the king succeeded to 
the possession of all lands belonging to 
one so adjudged. 

(Even in England, felony worked 
attainder of blood until the adoption 
of the Great Charter). The Persians 
had a proverb: "Never begin any- 
thing without first considering what 
the end might be." Amos says: "For 
they know not to do right saith the 
Lord, who store up violence and rob- 
bery in the palaces." Amos 3:10. 

The prophet Elijah pronounced the 
doom of the house of Ahab. Look at 
the record, the king and queen, the 
royal family, great men, priests, all 
worshipers of Baal, even the brethren 
of Ahaziah, king of Judah, forty-two 
men, found on the way to Samaria, 
were slain by Jehu. Of the royal 
families alone, one hundred and 
twelve. I stood in what was the vine 
yard of Naboth, a few acres of ground 
honeycombed with ancient tombs 
mostly open and vacant, wild cactus 



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eight to ten feet in height covers the 
ground. It contains no habitation and 
is an abandoned, dreary desolation; 
yet this small wilderness of ruin is 
known all over the civilized world on 
account of the sin of Ahab, the ex- 
tinction of the royal house, and hun- 
dreds of others connected w^ith his 
reign. 




[20] 








AND HE DIVIDED UNTO THEM 
HIS LIVING 

A LTHOUGH the elder son did not 
^^ demand hia portion, his part was 
also divided unto him. A living ap- 
plies only to personal property in term 
of law. When the widow cast her two 
mites into the treasury at the temple, 
it was *'even all her living." Mark 
12:44. At that time, what constituted 
a rich man's living? Gold, silver and 
copper stamped or in bars composed 
the circulating medium, used princi- 
pally for the payment of taxes. 
His living was cattle, sheep, goats, 
donkeys, horses, bond servants, male 
and female; household goods, rai- 
ment. Camels were common in Pales- 
tine from an early day; only a rich 
man could afford them. It must have 
required some time for the father to 
make the division. How carefully he 
made it; two to the elder, one to the 
younger, for we read: '*And not many 
days after, the younger son gathered 



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all together and took his journey into 
a far country." The inference is, he 
left nothing that belonged to him. 
From the nature of the property, he 
departed with a grand caravan. In 
my mind's eye I can see the flocks of 
sheep and goats, and herds of cattle 
driven by the servants, followed by 
donkeys and horses loaded w^ith furni- 
ture and bundles containing household 
goods, some of the maid servants rid- 
ing donkeys, carrying tender lambs. 
Of necessity the caravan moved slowly 
on the most direct route to the far 
country. 







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AND THERE WASTED HIS SUBSTANCE 
IN RIOTOUS LIVING 

¥T 5eema the young man held his own 
*• while in his own native land. It 
was in the far country where he met 
his Waterloo. Away from home is the 
testing time for any man. Away from 
home, character is put to the hardest 
test. Many can stand four square at 
home supported by friends and fa- 
miliar surroundings. The human mind 
bends slowly but almost surely and 
unconsciously under the pressure of 
new environment. He had an object, 
a vision, a purpose, for a home of his 
own, to duplicate his father's house in 
a far off land. A man without a vision 
makes no progress. He traveled on 
wings unrestrained, suddenly pos- 
sessed by large property which had 
not been gained by his own labor or 
service. Riches unearned and sud- 
denly acquired, usually take wings of 
the morning and fly away. 

[13] 




THE SPIRIT OF MIGRATION 

THE spirit of migration is the spirit 
that caused the occupation of the 
waste places of the earth, conquered 
the wilderness, and established em- 
pires and civilization where nature 
had slumbered undisturbed. Take it 
in all fairness, the Prodigal should not 
be impugned on account of his desire 
to emigrate. In fact, his set off espe- 
cially qualified him for a desirable 
immigrant into any country in which 
he should desire to abide. The 
younger son, from the time of his ap- 
pearance in the parable, always had 
something going on. With him, ''Life 
is real, life is earnest," long before 
Longfellow penned it down. 




3SP3^^!2^!3^.S38^aS3Sr2; 




THE WRONG HANDLE 

THE serious charge is, he ''wasted 
his substance in riotous living." 
He took the world as he found it, and 
by the w^rong handle. A brilliant 
lawyer and politician who became 
down and out, met a friend on a train, 
and in conversation on the change of 
his condition inquired, "What is the 
matter with me anyhow?" The friend 
answered, "You took the world by the 
wrong handle." 



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RIOTOUS LIVING 

RIOTOUS living in the East would 
not be riotous living in the West. 
The charge of the elder son on the 
Prodigal's return was: "As soon as 
this thy son was come, which hath de- 
voured thy living w^ith harlots, thou 
hast killed for him the fatted calf." 
This statement made by the elder son 
had no effect on the father, but it has 
w^onderfully influenced public opinion 
against the Prodigal, although it 
w^ould have no weight in a court. It 
was volunteer testimony formed with- 
out observation or positive knowledge 
as concerns the living being devoured 
with harlots. It was the testimony of 
a prejudiced witness. It was the loss 
of the goods that angered the elder 
son; his eyes were eyes only for 
property. 

Now, what were the facts of the 
case? In order to reach a far country 
at that day it was not necessary to 
cross the sea, or go to an island of the 





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sea. Some writers claim the Prodigal 
reached Cypress, because many Jews 
lived there. The Prodigal being en- 
cumbered with a caravan composed of 
flocks and herds required that the 
journey be by land. Gilead was a far 
country to those who dwelt west of 
the Jordan. The Ammonites and 
Moabites, descendants of Lot, in- 
habited the land. 

Its hills are rich, the flowing brooks, 
abounding forest and abundant pas- 
turage attract the traveler even today. 
It was the native land of Ruth. At the 
present time, ruins of once great cities 
are encountered, the names of which 
are lost and forgotten in the distant 
past, and a journey through Gilead is 
one of pleasure and interest. If we 
give the Prodigal credit for some judg- 
ment and discretion, Gilead was the 
land of his vision and purpose. 



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[27] 






HUMAN NATURE REMAINS THE SAME 

MANKIND has not changed much 
throughout the ages in nature 
and disposition, notwithstanding ad- 
vances made in art, science and civil- 
ization. It was in the far off country 
he wasted his substance. The present 
ruins of cities attest the fact that the 
country at some time was inhabited by 
a settled and prosperous people. All 
roads lead to cities. In ancient times 
it was a saying: "All roads lead to 
Rome." In the journey, the Prodigal's 
caravan would camp and rest without 
the gate of the city. He was an immi- 
grant seeking a location to establish a 
home. Naturally a young man pos- 
sessed w^ith so much visible w^ealth 
w^ould attract immediate interest and 
attention, especially of the young men 
of the city, and those of leisure, M^hose 
time and attention were devoted to 
pleasure and enjoyment, such w^ould 
attach themselves to the newcomer, 
and take great pride in providing one 




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SO young and prosperous with suitable 
entertainment. At that early day a 
city had no mercantile club or Rotary 
J^ organized to take in well-to-do 
strangers; nevertheless an unorgan- 
ized force was always found in every 
city for this purpose, and a stranger 
from a far country with great sub- 
stance was sure to receive welcome 
and honor agreeable to his position 
>M in life. There is no attraction like 
jm wealth; it exceeds the firmament and 
^ the starry heavens; the possessor is 
endangered on every side, if any man 
can truly say: "No one cares for my 
soul," it is the wealthy man. It was 
2yi then, and is now, the custom in the 
East to entertain in a public manner 
with feasting, music and dancing, 
fcjgp The guest of honor, his associates and 
^V friends occupy a prominent place on 
|>3 ^ platform, or, if in a house, an upper 
place. The magicians and dancing 
maidens appear below, the maidens 
^ adorned with garments of gauze so 
h£f thin as not to cast a shadow, holding 
timbals in their hands, with dance and 
songs constituted no doubt the most 
3jf interesting feature of the occasion. 





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CUSTOMS OF ONE COUNTRY, NOT 
CUSTOMS OF ANOTHER 

IN the orient men do not dance with 
w^omen. When King Herod at his 
birthday made a supper to his lords, 
high captains, and chief estates of 
Galilee, the daughter of Herodius 
came and danced before them. Mark 
6:21-22. When the ark w^as brought 
from Obed-edom, David, in religious 
exultation, danced. He danced alone, 
and Michal, his wife, was displeased 
that he danced in the presence of the 
handmaids of his servants. It resulted 
in their estrangement. II Samuel 6: 
14-23. 

The reception given the Prodigal at 
one place was no doubt duplicated at 
other places as the caravan proceeded 
on the highways of the far-off land. 
In the East it is now, and has been ''so 
long that the memory of man runneth 
not to the contrary," the custom for 
the guest of honor to pay the costs and 
charges of hospitality and kindness ex- 
tended to him. 










II 




rinrrnr" 



INCIDENTS REGARDING THIS CUSTOM 

FOR illustration of this custom read 
John 2:1-11, the marriage at Cana 
of Galilee, "and both Jesus was called 
and his disciples to the marriage." 
They wanted wine. The mother of 
Jesus saith unto him, "They have no 
wine." He said: "Mine hour is not 
yet come." Some writers interpret 
this, that he had not yet entered upon 
his ministry. All the twelve disciples 
may not have been present, but he had 
called Peter and Andrew, James and 
John, Philip and Nathaniel. He had 
taught in the synagogues, and his 
fame had gone out over all the region 
round about. How was it then? Jesus 
and his disciples were guests, under 
the custom of the country; it was their 
duty to contribute to the feast. They 
had not sent their offering in advance, 
as is the custom in our country, so 
Jesus just before the close of the enter- 
tainment contributed six stone water- 
pots of wine, containing twelve or 



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[31] 



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eighteen firkins, which shows the mar- 
riage was no small affair. It w^as a 
big marriage in a little town. Cana 
remains a village to this day. John 
says: "This w^as the first miracle by 
Jesus." He alw^ays observed the cus- 
toms of the country when they were 
reasonable and moral. . I w^ill not take 
time nor space to discuss the nature of 
w^ine; some argue that w^ine is intoxi- 
cating, otherwise it could not be wine. 
Every person who has traveled in Pal- 
estine becomes familiar w^ith unfer- 
mented w^ine found on the table at 
every meal. 





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31^ 



A DAMASCUS WEDDING 

AS a further illustration of the na- 
ture of a custom and how an 
innocent stranger may be effected 
thereby, when I was at Damascus, 
which is the oldest city in the world, 
our party had for its guide and con- 
ductor, a native of Lebanon moun- 
tains, a man of unusual learning, who 
had journeyed in Europe and America, 
and was licensed by the Moslem gov- 
ernment as a conductor for travelers 
in Syria. His years of service gave 
him a large acquaintance and entry 
into all the great houses. As we were 
in Damascus some days, he and 1 were 
invited to attend a grand marriage 
w^hich was to take place on a Thurs- 
day afternoon. I was much elated 
with the honor. I had attended 
funerals, baptisms, church services 
and synagogues to my heart's content, 
so now I would have the privilege of 
attending an Oriental marriage. On 
the appointed day I was arrayed in my 



8.'-; 



[M] 



c'-A "-.Jn ^-'A ■-.« ^^^A 






best, wrhich I had provided before 
leaving home, for great occasions, 
should any be presented. We pre- 
empted the best carriage and team 
to be found, and with a uniformed 
Jehu, drove down the street called 
"Straight." It was not straight, but 
more so than any other street in the 
city. There are no continuously 
straight streets in the Orient. Pres- 
ently we turned into a narrow con- 
necting street, walled on either side. 
We brought up before a closed gate, 
the entrance to the place w^here w^e 
w^ere invited. We knocked vigorously 
on the gate for admission. All gates 
to an Eastern house are closed and 
carefully locked. Finally, after long 
waiting, for nothing is done promptly 
in the East, the gate was opened by 
a liveried servant, and we were ad- 
mitted. We passed into an open court 
adorned in the center with a marble 
fountain, supplied from the Abana, its 
borders paved with Mosiac blocks. A 
white marble mansion having wonder- 
ful large windows occupied two sides 
of the court, on the verandas of which, 
bakers were preparing cakes to be 
baked in portable ovens, confectioners 




T^Z^r^ -^ry -^K^ '<fry ^r^^ry ^k ck^ ok^ '^'J^ 

g-^- -'■-'■ - ' ' ' *j5.i 

r^*; were making candies, and musicians 7 ; 

•* were tuning their stringed instru- f^ 

ments. The day was perfect. No 

other guests appeared; either we were 

late or no others had arrived. The 

•% lord of the mansion, in rich Moslem f'* 

Br Jjj* br^ 

^: ; apparel, met and greeted us in the ,. j 

l^ inost pleasing and courtly manner. I 



my arm, and turning with most polite 



-V ment at the hotel, you would not like 

s,*^ it so much." So I learned another 






fit 



^; ; felt happy beyond expression. Truly ^ . 

*^ the West cannot rival the East in f% 

polite manners. Presently an ani- y) 

f^ mated conversation was engaged in 5^ 

between my guide and the host. They 

,S^ lifted their voices loudly with gesticu- ?^ 

lations, both at the same time. I ^1 

' ^i stood a silent w^itness, not understand- t^ 

ing a word of Syriac ; all seemed to be ^'} 

, ^ in italics. Finally, after the lung exer- f^ 

cise came to a period, my friend seized .'-'J 

•'V r^,r , — ^^A f...„;^„ ,.,;»u * ^^i:»^ Itt 



l^. 



obeisence to the lord of the mansion, . - -, 

.;> led me out on the street to our car- r^-^ 

riage. On reaching the outer world I -^ 

t,^ said to my guide: "I would like to ?* 

remain for that wedding." He re- v 

'r,^ plied: "No doubt; but tomorrow t;^ 

V morning when the bill for expenses ^'J 

-•^ would be presented to you for pay- l^ 

id 

■'r lesson, that the East is not the West. .--J 

fH ^^^ y 




H 



A TEMPLE DANCE 

E wasted his substance in riotous 
living." On our journey our 
party visited Hindu temples. In pass- 
ing through the open courts of one, I 
observed some temple girls, called 
dancing maidens, unemployed. Like 
the lord of the vineyard, I said, "Why 
stand ye here all the day idle?" So I 
planked silver coins on the floor; the 
dance immediately commenced. I w^as 
guilty of wasting my substance in 
riotous living — on a small scale. 










I? 




THE PRODIGAL WAS ONLY A MAN 

A MAN'S education is never com- 
pleted however lonp he may live. 
From time to time, by observation, ex- 
perience, or force of circumstances, he 
modifies and changes his mind. His 
voice and personal appearance change 
with the passing years. He retains 
only his name and personality, but as 
an intellectual being, he is never per- 
fected or completed. He is ever reach- 
ing out and searching for knowledge 
and objects he has not yet acquired. 
He goes on toward perfection, but 
never reaches perfection in body, 
thought or endeavor. Not so with 
other species of animated creation in 
sea or on the land; they remain in 
mind and form essentially the same as 
at the beginning. 

The animal kingdom, by the proper 
care of man, may be domesticated 
and improved, but the limit can be 
reached. No doubt the swine, whose 
bodily form only is prized, has reached 

[37] 

ro a'^o ^o <^n^ O ^'K'^ <?ro r^K^ -a^i -^ 



id 

it 
a 



^■\ 



the size of its greatest possibility. The 
horse has been brought to its greatest 
proficiency in appearance, strength 
and speed of which in its nature it is 
adapted. Man alone has not reached 
his highest capability in appearance, 
in power or in thought; he still re- 
mains "a little lower than the angels." 





I^^r.^^^ \?'^v-5^'^ns^BaH@BBW 






mmmmimi 






WHI:N HE HAD SPENT ALL 

WHY did the Prodigal proceed 
until he spent his all? Was he 
a dunce or a fool? He was neither. 
Many leading men in history were un- 
successful in a property way, includ- 
ing professional men, generals, states- 
men, authors, bankers and merchants 
who have died bankrupts. The Prodi- 
gal never did anything in a half-way 
manner. His whole heart was on his 
purpose, he lacked caution and judg- 
ment with regard to property affairs; 
was possessed of a spirit to take a 
chance, which is common with many 
men, more especially young men who 
are engaged in lawful and honorable 
callings. The Prodigal held to his 
vision, a home in the far country. No 
doubt it was the last grand reception 
that absorbed his effects; "every pro- 
cession has an ending." As he trav- 
eled along the way, some of his large 
cattle, donkeys, servants and goods 
had to be parted with to meet charges 



[30] 






for sustenance of the caravan, some 
may have disappeared by theft; 
finally he gave up his last goat and his 
last sheep. He had reached the far 
country, and the far country reached 
for him. How like America. Many 
an immigrant came to the end of his 
journey when his funds gave out. 










hkh^ 



THE END OF THE JOURNEY 






SOMETIMES in the journey of life 
one reaches a stopping place not 
of his own choosing. Man is a crea- 
ture of circumstances and must en- 
deavor to fit himself into his surround- 
ings. The Prodigal now needed to use 
a set of faculties he had not previously 
employed. 

In southern Kansas lived a well-to- 
do farmer who had a son possessed of 
a wandering disposition. He traveled 
over the states and across the sea; oc- 
casionally he returned home for a 
short stay. The father was displeased 
because of the son's meandering na- 
ture. Finally, the son returned home 
ill and died. The father erected a 
tomb stone at the grave and inscribed 
thereon: **This is where he last 
stopped." 

Many a far-seeing man has lost his 
all, just at the period when he thought 
he had reached the goal. It is the ex- 
perience of many that it is more diffi- 

[41] 





cult to retain an estate than to create 
it. To lose an estate is an unforgivable 
offense in the eyes of the world, and 
it will not stop long to consider under 
vrhat luifortunate conditions the estate 
wras lost. As a general proposition a 
man is considered to be wise and dis- 
creet in proportion to the amount of 
property he acquires and retains. 

Be it remembered, the Prodigal, al- 
though he wasted his substance, was 
not a bankrupt. A bankrupt is one 
who cannot pay his debts. He at least 
owed no one anything. If he had been 
indebted and unable to pay, he w^ould 
have been imprisoned, for such w^as 
the law. Only a man of means can 
fail financially. It is better to w^in a 
fortune and lose it than never to have 
dominion over property. The sensa- 
tion of being rich counts for some- 
thing. The Prodigal certainly has his 
use and place in the economy of hu- 
man affairs, much of which is past 
finding out. If the rich own the earth, 
the poor certainly replenish it. If all 
the estates of the rich were perpetu- 
ally preserved in the family, an espe- 
cially favored class would presently 
own and control the property and af- 



[42] 






■^2Si?2S2asgaas3*s:^5^v ^"^.'^^ 






fairs of the nation to the exclusion of 
the many, hence it is so ordained that 
prodigals sufficient are produced to 
safely insure the country from the 
domination of the rich. 

The miser has no true friend on 
earth nor in Heaven. He is denounced 
in history and in song. He holds his 
all in icy grasp until death seals his 
doom. Away back beyond the record 
of time, the Lord established a memor- 
ial to the miser; it is the Dead Sea, 
which continually receives but never 
gives. Riches ruin more than does 
poverty. 



8^ 

I? 

id 



i'7 



i Wj4ggM^j45j'jgM^g Q 






[4al 




THERE AROSE A FAMINE IN 
THAT LAND 

FAMINE has prevailed in some land 
ever since Noah's flood, when the 
human family multiplied and dis- 
persed over the earth. The first 
famine mentioned in the Bible oc- 
curred in the days of Abraham, Gen. ^ 
12:10, and Abraham went dow^n into ^ 
Egypt to sojourn there. The seven S 
years' famine in Egypt is described in ^ 
Gen. 41 ; its consequence takes up the ra 
remaining nine chapters of Genesis. ^ 
It changed the history of the world, ^ 
and affected mankind more than any ^ 
other material event. It gave Joseph ^ 
the opportunity of his life, all in one ^ 
day; when the sun arose he was a for- ^ 
gotten alien in a lonely prison; w^hen 
the sun set, he wore Pharah's ring, &)t 
rode in the second chariot, and was 
ruler over the land of Egypt. Such ^ 
sudden transition w^as never known in 
all history. ^ 

Famine has w^orked great changes 

[44] 









•TTXt^^^r? '^^^ ^ r^ -5 n f^ »^p:t< ;«flii:t^ ^^^^^ .^ ;^^ 

■ 4*v.'.>^ \*» wLJi "•.s-. .' A _ A .--4 -tji •-♦» .iiii •-♦• uu JtxuiA \i-i 'Tm* • 



in nations. It has its purpose in the 
secret counsels of the Almighty. Many 
famines are mentioned in the Bible, 
attributed to the sin of man. To obser- 
vation, it modifies the multiplication 
of the human family, creates a spirit 
of charity in those of a plentiful land, 
and brinj?s the mind of man to a real- 
ization of his utter dependence upon 
God. 




S^^^i^ 



■45] 








MISFORTUNES BRING A TESTING TIME 

MISFORTUNES, so called, seldom 
come singly; such is the observa- 
tion of mankind. After war comes 
pestilence foUow^ed by famine and 
poverty. The Prodigal reached the 
far country at an unfavorable season: 
"There arose a mighty famine in that 
land, and he began to be in want." 
One who has tasted of the cup of 
riches can ill become reconciled to the 
dregs of poverty. A testing time 
comes to every one in some shape, at 
some time, at some place. Poverty, 
although undesirable, has its uses. 
True character becomes manifested 
more surely in adversity than in pros- 
perity. Those who can count their 
possessions at home and in peace, can- 
not fully appreciate and comprehend 
the condition of the Prodigal, a 
stranger in a far country, without sub- 
stance or friends, encompassed by 
famine, and about to perish with 
hunger. A man w^ho can successfully 
survive multiplied adversity is a man 
indeed. 

[46] 










WHAT COULD THE PRODIGAL DO '^ 

IF you were ever far from home, 
without money or friends, would 
you not seriously consider what you 
could do? What could the Prodigal 
do in the far country when "there 
arose a mighty famine in that land"? 
There were three things he could do. 
He could have joined a robber band, 
for he was young and efficient, and 
thereby he could gain his living by 
plunder, for there were robbers in 
that country then and there are rob- 
bers in that country now, but the 
Prodigal was too honest to steal. He 
could have joined a beggar guild, for 
there were beggars then, and there 
are beggars there now, but he was too 
proud to beg. No opportunity re- 
mained but to go to work, "and he 
w^ent and joined himself to a citizen 
of that country; and he sent him into 
the fields to feed swine." No doubt 
the citizen had many swine, as they 
were in more than one field. 



[47J 



Wr£-:i 






^^ 



Swine were numerous in Gilead, as 
we learn, Mark 5:13. To feed swine 
was the lowest, and a despised occu- 
pation for a Hebrew. It was no doubt 
the first and only opportunity offered 
him to work. How many in our Chris- 
tian country refuse to work unless 
given an employment agreeable to 
them, and with ample wages. 





[48] 



P^*?"ro OK- OK- OK- ^r^K- ^^S^J^<fK- ^K- 



U 



AND NO MAN GAVE UNTO HIM 

HOW quickly comes a change to one 
who has parted with his all, espe- 
cially to one who is an alien and a 
stranger. No one took an interest in 
his welfare, his former new found 
friends all vanished with his sub- 
stance; there was no one to counsel or 
consult, no helping hand, no word of 
sympathy or hope. The world grew 
cold and pitiless as a wintry storm. 

In the early settlement of Ohio, 
travelers were entertained at country 
taverns along the way. No register 
was kept of the names of guests. A 
man from Virginia who came into the 
state to buy land stopped over night at 
such a way-side tavern. Early he 
came out on the front porch, and on a 
bench against the wall he saw the 
body of a dead man lying. On inquiry 
he found the man, a traveler like him- 
self, had arrived in the night and was 
found dead in bed, his name unknown. 
The Virginian stepped to an ash heap 



[49] 



^\ 




i 

LI 

Ml 



wr^- 



I 



- ly-:-'^-r- i 



in the yard, picked out a piece of 
charcoal and wrote on the white wall 
over the dead man: 

"Here lies a man who lately died; 
Nobody mourned, and nobody cried; 
Where he's gone or how he fares, 
Nobody knows, and nobody cares." 



In the East, a servant or employe 
in any capacity is not furnished or pro- 
vided w^ith food; he must seek and ob- 
tain food for himself. Therefore, do 
not condemn the citizen of that coun- 
try who employed the Prodigal to feed 
his swine, for he simply observed the 
custom of the country. This custom 
w^ould not be set aside simply to ac- 
commodate a Hebrew^ and a stranger, 
although the wages for the services 
rendered were insufficient for his 
need, and he would perish with 
hunger. 

in the East there is no certain pay 
day as in the West. A hireling is paid 
at the close of each day. This custom 
still continues. Witness the parable of 
the householder who hired laborers in 
his vineyard, Matt. 20:8. "So when 
even was come the lord of the vine- 



[50] 




:-&--&-■&: 






^ry ^^ry-*^yY^^'-^^ 



yard saith unto his steward, call the 
laborers and give them their hire, be- 
ginning from the last unto the first." 
This custom is agreeable to the East, 
where wages are low^ and laborers are 
poor. It is intended to enable the 
laborer to live another day on the 
wages of today; hence the words in 
the Lord's prayer, "Give us this day 
our daily bread." 

There is no influence that so com- 
pletely enforces its presence as 
hunger. It involves the entire system, 
mental and physical; if continued for 
a time it weakens the body but clari- 
fies the mind. Hunger, so to speak, 
brings the mind back to itself. 





^ 



(511 







HE CAME TO HIMSELF 

THIS is the turning point in the 
parable. "When he came to him- 
self," is the turning point in the life of 
every person. When the Prodigal re- 
ceived his portion of goods; when he 
departed from his father's house; 
when he journeyed along the way; 
when he dissipated his substance, he 
was not himself; his conscience or 
inner soul was in abeyance. The loss 
of property, the famine, adversity and 
hunger, brought him to himself. 
Jonah said in his distress: "When my 
soul fainted within me, I remembered 
the Lord." Jonah 2:7. 

A diamond in the rough may be 
recognized only by an expert in pre- 
cious stones, but when its jagged and 
uneven surface is cut in a lathe, it 
sparkles in the light and its true worth 
is revealed to all. The Prodigal was 
tried in the lathe of poverty and 
hunger; it brought out the true value 
of his inner soul. 




i 

i 
I 

m 
I 

i 

i 
I 

I 

I 

i 
1 












Ks /^To <3 r "> ro -^Fir' ; ^^^^ ^r^ /« ■ ♦% 



*'He came to himself," that is, he 
came to his right mind. Any one who 
is away from God is not in his right 
mind. He may think he is in his right 
mind, and consider all Christians as 
abnormal or fanatics. It may require, 
as in the case of the Prodigal, some 
great sorrow, loss or misfortune to 
bring him to himself. 

So long as the Prodigal was in opu- 
lence, he journeyed farther and 
farther from home, but now in adver- 
sity, he began to think of his father's 
house and said to himself ( we all at 
times talk to ourselves), "How many 
hired servants of my father's have 
bread enough and to spare, and I 
perish with hunger." 

The Prodigal, while feeding swine, 
began to take an invoice of his condi- 
tion. Every successful business man 
takes an invoice, at least annually, of 
his belongings and his liabilities. 
Much more important it is that an in- 
voice be taken of our spiritual condi- 
tion so as to ascertain how we stand 
with God, for we are adrift on the 
silent wings of time towards a sure 
eternity. No one holds a mortgage on 
tomorrow; yesterday is gone forever; 






' ^Jiv ^^1 ^i "JO ^Po /ir,. ^To 







this day, this hour only, is my own. 
Solomon said, Prov. 27:1, "Boast not 
thyself of tomorrow, for tliou knowest 
not what a day may bring forth 

The Prodigal digested the facts of 
his case and came to a conclusion. 





!S^sr3S^r;\s^s^^s-2s-:2^r7 






I WILL ARISI: AND GO TO MY FATHER 



HE was not of a nature to falter or 
delay; nor did he lift up his voice 
and weep in the wilderness. Although 
a down and out, he retained his force 
of character and manhood; he cruci- 
fied pride to duty; he sought no listen- 
ing ear to hear his woes, in that 
strange land; he made no complaint 
against individuals, law or custom, or 
that he did not have a fair chance. 
He would retrace in rags and poverty, 
the road he had traveled in stately 
affluence. 

The Prodigal was absent from home 
no doubt for several years, for he was 
accounted as lost, and mourned by his 
father as dead. One cannot go so far 
that God will not go with him. Only 
a man of unusual fortitude could de- 
termine to retrace his steps, face his 
friends and acquaintances at home, 
and declare himself a failure and a 
miserable sinner. 



[55] jVV 





ANOTHER PRODIGAL 

IN the early seventies, when I was 
traveling north through the Indian 
country, I fell in company w^ith a 
young man headed north in search for 
w^ork. He related his experience w^hile 
in Texas where he had resided for a 
year. His father was a prosperous 
farmer in central Kentucky, where the 
son was born and brought up. On his 
coming of age he was anxious to leave 
home and strike out for himself, and 
decided that Texas was about his size. 
The father was loth to part with his 
son, but concluded it was best to let 
him go. On the eve of his departure 
the father gave a great party and in- 
vited all the neighbors and young 
folks. There w^as feasting, dancing, 
and a general good time. At the con- 
clusion of the party, the father pre- 
sented the son with a new pocket-book 
containing one thousand dollars. In 
the early morning he took his de- 
parture and headed straight for 



ins.^'sras^as^: 



& 










Texas, anxious for no delay for fear 
all the best chances to make money 
would be taken before he could get 
there. In Texas he was not a success, 
for the natives separated him from his 
money in divers ways new to him, and 
now, although but one year from leav- 
ing home, he had but twenty-eight 
dollars left. He was anxious and will- 
ing to work but found no employment, 
for at that time a financial crisis was 
over all the country. I advised the 
young man when he arrived at a rail- 
way station, to purchase a ticket and 
go straight home; that his twenty- 
eight dollars would put him there, and 
not to waste his money trying to find 
work, for he had no trade. He re- 
plied: **ril die in this country rather 
than return home without anything, 
after my father did so much for me, 
and gave that big party." The last I 
saw of the Kentuckian he was trying 
to hire himself to a stone mason in a 
village to help build a wall. 

But few men have force of char 
acter sufficient to return to a father's 
house after having made an entire 
failure of life. 



[57] 



t^ 




MAKES UP A SPEECH 

BEFORE starting on his homeward 
journey, the Prodigal made up a 
speech to be delivered to his father. 
It was short and pointed, contained no 
excuse, no complaint; the manner of 
his return and appearance attested 
his poverty. "Father, I have sinned 
against Heaven and before thee, and 
I am not worthy to be called thy son; 
make me as one of thy hired servants." 
No doubt along the way he repeated 
his speech, for on his arrival he gave 
it almost ver-hatim. 

This subject is worthy of a gifted 
painter, first to display the Prodigal 
w^hen he left home w^ith a grand cara- 
van; second, on his return alone in 
rags and poverty. 




^^^^%-^. 



^fe--^-iAi^*-v^ 



22S^:2S3!i 




SOMETHING DOING 




DAY by day during the son's long 
absence the anxious father 
watched for his return, like the widow 
w^ho kept her lamp lighted in the win- 
dow as a beacon for the return of her 
undutiful son. At last the father saw 
him a great way off (God sees us at 
all times). He knew the son better 
than the son knew himself. The 
father knew all his weaknesses as well 
as his native strength of character. 
He was not expecting his return with 
wealth, for had he been successful in 
that far country, his return would not 
have been expected. The father **ran 
and fell on his neck and kissed him." 
The Prodigal at once delivered his 
speech; the father paid no attention to 
the important address the son had so 
carefully prepared and brought from 
the far country. The father being a 
man of affairs, at once took in the 
situation, coat faded and tattered, 
shoes worn out, and commanded the 



[59] 








servants. "Bring forth the best robe, 
and put it on him, put a ring on his 
hand and shoes on his feet." Full 
restoration to son-ship. Changed 
by adversity — saved by love — the 
Father's love. Character survives 
life — it is the passport into eternity. 



Some years ago I was on a vessel 
entering New York harbor, on a dark 
stormy night, the waves rolled high, 
the ship slowly labored on. I went up 
on deck, anxious to see the lights of 
the great city; all was total darkness. 
I heard a bell, a cathedral bell, ring- 
ing — ringing — in the darkness. I said 
to one of the ship's officers who was 
near by, "I see no light, but I hear a 
cathedral bell." "Yes," he replied, 
"you hear a bell, but we are many 
miles from the city. It is a large bell 
anchored on a buoy at the approach 
to the harbor, at a dangerous point; 
when the waves roll the bell rings as 
a warning for the pilot to keep to the 
right." Ever since, whenever I hear a 
cathedral bell ringing — ringing — I 
think it says, "Keep-to-the-right — 
keep-to-the-right." 



[60] 




